The Lagos State Government has defended the action of officials of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) against actress Sarah Martins, who alleged she was harassed while cooking for the less privileged on a street in Lagos.
Sarah shared a video of herself in tears on Thursday, claiming uniformed men assaulted her and seized her cooking equipment while she was preparing free food for the homeless in Lekki.
“My heart aches. Today, as I was cooking free food for the vulnerable and homeless people on the street of Lagos like I always do, some uniform men came there, harassed me, bullied me and took away the food I was cooking, took away my cooking gas and everything I was making free food with,” she wrote.
“My only offence was serving love on a plate through my healthy meals.”
The video sparked outrage online after the actress was seen with a swollen hand.
Reacting, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab said the actress violated the state’s environmental and sanitation laws.
“The individual in question claimed to be conducting charitable cooking activities on the road median, which unfortunately contravened existing environmental and sanitation regulations,” Wahab said in a statement.
“While the Lagos State Government appreciates the spirit of philanthropy demonstrated by many residents, such initiatives must comply with the state’s laws to ensure public safety, environmental protection and urban order.”
He added that the enforcement was part of the #KeepLagosClean and #ZeroToleranceLagos campaigns.
Sarah, who was released the same day, has continued to receive support from fans and colleagues who condemned the alleged assault.
